Fountain pen cap construction



Jan. l5, 1946. w. oRMsBY FOUNTAIN PEN CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2o, 1944 Patented Jan. 15,1946

FOUNTAIN PEN CAP CONSTRUCTION Lester W. Ormsby, Janesville, Wis., assignor to The Parker Pen Com corporation of Wisco pany, Janesville, Wis., ansin i Application May 20, 1944, Serial No. 536,504

` 7 Claims; (Cl. 12o-42) The invention relates generally to fountain pens and more particularly to a fountain pen provided with a cap to enclose the writing end of l \the -pen when. not in use.

The general object of the invention is to'provide a fountain pen having a novel cap construction which provides for venting of the interior of the cap to maintain the pressure therein at atmosphere and yet does not permit such free passage of'air as to cause the ink on the nib todry.

It is also an important object to provide a cap construction provided with a venting passage to equalize the pressure therein with the atmosphere when the cap is fixed on the pen, which comprises parts readily manufactured and' which utilizes portions of the venting passage to facilitate the manufacture.

a pen which has been lying in e relatively cool v temperature is placed in a pocket Where it is subjected to the warmth of the users body. Changes in pressure within the cap relative to the pressure within'the barrel of thepen may 'also'occur as a result of the pumping action' effected by placing the cap on the pen'or' withdrawing it therefrom by a sudden movement.

In venting a cap to provide for such pressure differences', a. free and open ventpassage could readily be provided but when the venting is so free as to cause a considerable flow of air around l the point, the ink dries thereon, thus rendering the point unready for immediate use and tending to cause aclogging in the ink passages in the point. rIt is desirable 'therefore torestrict the Another object is to provide a novel cap construction having a venting passage to equalize the pressure4 therein with the Aatmosphere when the cap is fixed on the pen, which passage is concealed so as not to detract from a smooth ex-,y

terior appearance. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following, description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: A l

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a fountainpen provided with a cap embodying thefeatures of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale-similar to Fig. l but with the cap in section.v

Fig.3 is a transverse section'taken on the line V 3-3 of Fig. 2. l

In a, fountain pen of the type adapted to be carried by the user, a cap is provided to cover the writing end of the pen when not in use both to venting as much as possible without causing any pressure differential, and to avoid a flow of air so far as possible in the immediate vicinity of the writing nib of the point. vItA is also desirable from the esthetic standpoint to conceal the vent so as not to detract from the exterior appearance of the cap. l

The -pen chosen to illustrate the invention comprises a main Nbody or barrel I Il. Attached to the body I 0 is a shell II enclosing a feed mechanism including a nib I2 of which only the writ-4 ing tip is exposed. The shell is provided with an opening in its forward end for admitting air to the reservoir or barrel I0. The feed may be of the form shown' in the Baker Patent No.. 2,223,541, issued December 3, 194

To enclose the point when not in use, acap is provided which in the present instance comprises an outer shell I3 preferably made of metal f and having a tubular form tapering somewhat at its front end. The outer shell I3 is adapted to f telescope over the frontend of the pen and a protect the clothing from being stained with ink and to prevent Athe ink from being drained from the point by contact with the clothing. The cap as a rule has a fairly tight fit on the body of the pen so that the space within the cap and around the point must be vented to allow for changes in the pressure within the pen and the outside atmosphere.

For example, if a pen is carried into high altitudes such as in airplane travel, the pressure within the barrel of the pen must be permitted to equalize with the lessened atmospheric pressure at such altitudes. The pen itself may be properly constructed to permit such equalization through the front end of the pen, but unless the cap is likewise vented, equalization will not occur. Increase in pressure within the pen may occur when portion of the barrel Ill and to be secured thereto by a sliding movement, the cap being held lon the pen by frictional means. In the present instance, such frictional means comprises a plurality of bowed spring lingers I 4 adapted to engage a clutch ring i5 mounted on the barrel of the pen adjacent the shell II. g

The outer shell I3 is closed at its outer end by an inner shell I6 having a, length substantially less than that of the outer shell I3. lThe inner shell at its open end is dimensioned to fit snugly on a tapering portion ofthe shell II, as at I1, to limit the inward or telescoping movement of the cap onthe pen. Thefsnug fit 4Il of the inner surface of the I8 is provided side atmosphere so that threaded bore formed in the end of the otthebarrelthroughthepoint endorthepen.

sacas-12 vent the miei-mr space la to the atmosphere in pressure therein may be equalized oi the inaome distance from the production of air currents around the writing nib which would have la tendency to dry it and render the nib unfit for immediate use. To' this end, the inner shell I6 is provided with a transverse passage 20 intermediate its ends and located rearwardly of the nib I2 butforwardly placed from the sealing engagement II between the inner shell and the iront end structure Il. l

From the transverse passage 20 a longitudinal passage is provided extending rearwardly to the rear end of the inner shell to open into the interior space within the outer shell I3. Such longitudinal passage is provided by and between the inner and outer. shells and in the present instance is formed by a longitudinal groove 2| provided in the outer periphery of the inner shell I6 and er.V tending at .least from the transverse passage 2C to the rear end of the inner shell. Further venting from the transverse passage 20 in the present instance is provided by an annular space 22 between theinner and outer shells intermediate their ends, and additional longitudinal grooves 23 formed in the outer periphery oi' the inner '.shell.

Thus air may pass through the transverse passage 20 and then lon- 'gitlldinally through the groove 2lor any of the grooves 23. and into the interior -of the outer shell I3 rearwardly of the inner shell. The outer shell provides for sulllcient venting of its interior -to the outside atmosphere by means of thespaces between the spring fingers I4 along the outer barrel I0. Thus the interior space with communication with the outchanges in pressure within' the barrel of the pen or in the space I8 may be equalized with the atmosphere.

In the manufacture of'a cap of this construction it is desirable to produce the inner shell I8 by cured within the outer shell by means of a clamping ring 24 and a 'screw 25 threaded into a er shell I8. The clamping. ring 24 may, if de ired, have a pocket clip 26' formed as an integral part thereof.

In molding the inner shell I6 the threads to receive the screw 25 are preferably formed in the molding process in a well known manner `hy a core extending into the molding die. When the piece has been molded, it is necessary to rotate the core to remove it from the piece without stripping the threads. The inner shell thus has to be held against-rotation to permit such removal of the threaded core.

The present venting structure is such that it lends itself to such molding process by providing means by which the lshell may be held against ro a molding process.- Such inner shell is sen from the interior space I8 From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a fountain pen having a novel cap construction which provides for venting or the interior or the cap so that the pressure therein may be readily equalized with the outside atmosphere and yet not cause such free passage of air as would dry the pen. .The longitudinal grooves 2| and 23 constitutea simple form of passage for venting, which extend longitudinally of the cap and thus facilitate the manufacture of the cap since they provide a means for holding the latteragalnst rotation during the molding process. The venting passage is completely concealed so that there is nothing to detract from the exterior` appearance ofthe cap when mounted on the pen.

I claim:

v l; In a fountain pen,a cap comprising an outer shell adapted to engage the pen to secure the cap thereto, and an inner shell xed in said outer 2. In a fountain pen, a cap comprising an outer shell adapted to engage the pen to secure the cap thereto but permitting venting from the interior of the outer shell to the atmosphere, and s an inner shell xed in' said outer shell and having its open end fitting snugly within the outer shell, said inner shell having a longitudinal groove in its periphery and a transverse passage connecting said groove with the interior of the. inner shell to provide a passage from the interior of the inner shell to the vented space in the interior of the outer shell.

3. In a fountain pen, a cap comprising an outer shell having one end. closed and the other end open and adapted to telescope over the front end ofthe pen, means adjacent the open end of the outer shell to secure it to thel pen and having a vent to the atmosphere of the interior space adjacent said means, and an inner shell xed in the closed end of said outer shell and providing an interior space around the point of the pen, said inner shell having a longitudinal groove in its periphery and a transverse apertureconnectthereof to the atmosphere, an inner shell in the tation during the removal of the threaded core.

Thus the four longitudinal grooves 2I and 23 provide a ready means for engaging with corresponding ribs in the die to hold the shell against rotation 'in this operation. While the single groove 2l would probably be sufilcient for vent- A ing purposes, the additional grooves 22 which; together with the groove 2l, provide for non-ro tative holding' of .the shell during molding, give the desired venting.

outer shell and adapted to t over the front end of the pen and havng'a-closed space around the point of the pen, and a screw securing said shells together and threaded into the end of the inner shell, said inner shell being molded and provided with a longitudinal peripheral grooveVA to hold the shell against turning in molding the shell, said groove being connected to said closed space by a transverse passage to provide for venting said space to the atmosphere.

5. Ina fountain pen, a cap comprisingan outer shell and an inner shell secured together at one end by a screw axially extending and threaded into the inner shell, said inner shell being molded and provided with a longitudinal peripheral groove for holding the shell against turning in molding threads forsaid screw. the cap having a venting passage from the interior of the inner shell including said groove.

the mk on the nib of 6. In a fountain Den. a cap comprising inner and outer shells closed at one end' and open at the other and relatively having an annular space therebetween intermediate the ends of the inner shell, said inner shell having a transverse opening connecting its interior with said annular space and a plurality of longitudinal grooves in its periphery extending from said annular space to the open end of said inner shell to provide a venting passage from the interior of the inner shells 7. Ina iountain'pen, a cap comprising/an outer shell provided with means for securing the cap nns'maw. oRMsBY. 

